Nutritional and health benefits of okra vegetable

Many of us are familiar
with okra, we as well enjoy its taste whenever it is been included in some of
our recipes, but how many of us are aware of the health benefits possessed by
this medicinal and culinary vegetable? We shall be looking at some of them in
this post. Normally, the okra is used as a thickening agent in some of our
soups because of its texture and other characteristics, but it can also present
itself as a nutritional powerhouse filled with minerals, vitamins, and some
other nutrients that provides various forms of health benefits ranging from
treating diabetes to preventing kidney disease. The popular "okra
soup" is well known and enjoyed by most Nigerians today.

The okra, Abelmoschus esculentus, is a perennial
flowering plant that belongs to the family Malvaceae and is also known as
"lady's finger" or "barnia". It is cultivated mostly in the
tropical and warm temperature regions around the world for their fibrous fruits
or pods. The dark green coloured pods measures about 5 to 15cm in length, and
it takes about 45 to 60 days before it is ready to be harvested. Gathering of
the pods is normally done when they are green, tender and at an immature stage.
Internally, the pods feature small, round mucilaginous white coloured seeds
arranged in vertical rows. Get
to know this popular vegetable and learn how to choose and use its seedy pods
to preserve their rich nutritional value.

Nutritional
value of okra

Just a single cup of
okra have been evaluated to contain like over 30 calories, about 3 grams of
dietary fibre, 2 grams of protein, 7.6 grams of carbohydrates, 0.1 grams of
fat, 21 milligrams of vitamin C, around 88 micrograms of folate, and 57
milligrams of magnesium. They are also rich in B-complex group of viyamins like
niacin, vitamin B-6 (pyridoxine), thiamin and pantothenic acid and also good
amounts of vitamin K. All these compositions makes okra a nutritional
powerhouse and an available food when it comes to the matters of human health.

Depending on the
various ways you consume okra either stewed, in a soup, boiled, fried, or even
in picked form, be sure that you will be reaping the health benefits of this
little green vegetable any time of the year.

Health
benefits of okra

1.
Alleviates asthma

It have been proven
that the consumption of fruits or vegetables that contains even small amounts
of vitamin C is capable of alleviating the symptoms of asthma. Okra contains
about 21 milligrams of vitamin C per cup. A 2000 study published in the journal Thorax found the intake of
citrus or kiwi fruits conferred a highly protective effect against wheezing
symptoms in childhood. The protective effect was seen even among children who
ate fruit only one to two times per week. The researchers found this to be
especially true among already susceptible patients.

2.
Lowers cholesterol

Okra does not only have
the potency of promoting good digestive health, but it also promotes good
cholesterol levels in the body due to its high fibre content. Soluble fibres
can be easily dissolved in water, which means that it is been broken down in
the digestive tract. Okra also helps to lower cholesterol levels in the body by
replacing all the foods we eat with high fat. Okra contains no cholesterol and
very little quantity of fat.

3.
Helps in managing diabetes

Soluble fibre found in
okra is helpful to diabetes patients because of its ability to keep blood
glucose levels stable. It affects how sugar is been absorbed in the intestine. In a 2011 study published in the journal ISRN
Pharmaceutics, researchers soaked sliced okra pods in water and then gave rats
the solution through a gastric feeding tube — a control
group was not fed
with this solution. The researchers found okra
helped reduce the absorption rate of glucose and in turn reduced blood sugar
levels in the treated rats.

4.
Boost the immune system

The rich content of
vitamin C and antioxidant components present in okra makes it to function as a
good immune booster. The antioxidants fights against unsafe free radicals,
while also supporting the immune system. Vitamin C helps in stimulating the
immune system to produce more white blood cells, which helps in battling
foreign pathogens and materials that enters the body.

5.
Prevents kidney disease

Regular consumption of
this medicinal vegetable can be helpful in preventing kidney disease. From a
study published in the Jilin Medical Journal found
patients who ate okra daily reduced clinical signs of kidney damage more than
those who were on a diabetic diet. This is helpful since nearly half of kidney
disease cases develop from diabetes.

6.
Promotes healthy pregnancy

Because of the high
levels of vitamin A, vitamin B-complex, and vitamin C, with traces of zinc and
calcium found in okra, it have been known as an ideal vegetable to eat during
pregnancy.